Under His Command (15 page)

during my short absence from this ship, Lieutenant?”

“I think that’s the extent of it.” Her gaze flickered over his bare

chest. She added, “Sir.”

“Do you think being worried over another officer’s absence

justifies a breach in regulations?” He took a long slow step toward

her.

“I think every situation is different,” she equivocated, standing her

ground, though her eyes widened as he reached for her.

“In other words, rules are meant to be interpreted?” Kel reached

out and slipped the clip holding her long hair up free. “Come on now,

Peyton, we both know that is not how the military works. It’s very

simple. I give an order, and because I’m your superior officer, you are

supposed to obey it.”

“Yes, but—”

“Please tell me you aren’t arguing with me.”

She would have if he hadn’t bent to capture her mouth in a searing

kiss, he was convinced of it. But she didn’t argue when he made short

work of stripping off her uniform tunic and regulation slacks. Or

when he cupped her breast beneath the thin layer of her

undergarments and made a small sound of pure male satisfaction at

the warm weight cradled in his palm.

Slim arms slipped around his neck as Kel lifted and carried her

into their sleeping chamber. “You’re tired,” Peyton murmured,

kissing his neck. “For the first time since I’ve known you actually

look tired. You need sleep, not sex.”

“I’m doubting I’ll ever be
that
tired when it comes to you,” he

muttered back. Moments later they were both naked and he balanced

himself between her open thighs, nudging wet heat with the swollen

tip of his hungry cock. He commanded, “Tell me again why you

broke the rules.”

She stared up at him, her expression full of confusion. “What?”

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“It’s important.” The admission was unwilling but truthful. “To

me.”

“I was worried.” Her breath came in slight pants and her eyes

were dark with passion.

“About?” He tested the resilience of her slit, opening it, letting his

crest enter her.

“You.” One exploring hand slipped over his chest, her fingers

brushing a nipple, making it pebble.

Kel hissed in a breath.

Just what he wanted—no, needed—to hear. “I don’t remember

ordering you to worry about my welfare, Lieutenant Valmont.”

“I don’t recall asking permission,” she said, lifting her hips in

supplication.

“How like you, disobedient at every turn.”

“And here I thought you liked my independent spirit.” To

punctuate her words she lightly bit into the muscle of his right

shoulder.

The trouble was, she was exactly right. He admired her courage,

her skill as a pilot, and not the least of it, her allure as a female. It

wasn’t just her beauty either, but something intrinsically about her

that was different from anyone he’d ever met. The moment she’d

stepped on his ship, it held him captive and this moment was no

different.

“I do,” he admitted, his voice rough.

“Kel.” Fingertips danced down his spine.

“What do you want from me?” The question was honest, raw.

“Everything,” she whispered.

He had a feeling that was true. With his usual care, he began to

fully penetrate her willing body, her knees lifting to give him

complete access to the ultimate possession, small hands caressing at

the base of his spine. “This kind of everything?” he asked as he

finally rested fully inside her, the hot wet grip of her pussy holding

his cock with perfection.

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103

“This is nice,” Peyton said, her voice a low purr, “but not quite

enough.”

Kel rocked his hips to apply pressure to her clit, rewarded by a

gasp of pleasure. “I’m not big enough for you?”

He would do anything to get her to say it. Anything.

Maybe even say it himself?

“Hmm…you’re perfect.” Peyton let her eyes drift shut. “But that

isn’t what I meant exactly, though I appreciate the demonstration.”

Kel went still. “Did you mean you’d prefer an emotional bond

between us and not just this.” He slid one hand between their joined

bodies and caressed her.

Her inner muscles contracted as her eyes flew open. “Yes, that’s

what I meant.”

“Don’t you think there is one?”

“I’ve never felt this way before,” she admitted.

That was close, but not perfect. He wanted perfect. “What way?”

“Kel.” Her hips shifted as he continued to stimulate the small

swollen nub between her legs. It wasn’t exactly fair play but he

wasn’t interested in fair. The slight bite of her nails on his shoulders

told him her orgasm hovered.

“Felt what way? Tell me.”

“Is that an order?” Her voice sounded strangled, the fluids of her

arousal coating his fingers and lubricating his cock.

“No. A request.”

Something flickered in her magnificent eyes. “I believe that’s a

first, Commander.”

“In honor of the occasion, can you humor me then?”

“I love you.” She twisted, arched, clung to him. “I love you.”

Joy crashed over him in sync with pleasure as the woman in his

arms began to shudder in erotic release. All control was lost as her

inner muscles tightened and propelled him over the edge into a starlit

vastness of swirling emotion and physical sensation.

It was unique. It was magnificent.

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It was perfection, he thought as he drifted off into a deep,

dreamless sleep.

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105

Minoa, five weeks later

The experience of appearing before the Universal Council was

one Peyton decided she would just as soon not repeat in the near—or

distant—future. As she was escorted from the huge meeting chamber,

she wiped her damp palms on the fabric of her immaculate uniform.

Three hallways, two different change of guards later to guide her, and

she found herself thankfully in a bay with a waiting transport.

Tara was probably with Will, she thought, as the soldier who’d

brought her that morning expertly guided the machine out into the

traffic flow of Minoa’s famous First City. Given that the son of the

former governor of Epsilon was recovering well, all the hovering care

wasn’t probably necessary, but then again, Tara rarely did anything

halfway. From the way the two of them looked at each other, the

likelihood of future plans seemed to be a certainty.

At least
someone
had future plans. Peyton looked out the window

at the vast cobalt lake that was the center of the city, her stomach in a

dismal knot. Since they arrived on Minoa a few days ago, she’d heard

nothing from Kel. Oh, she realized that he, like her, had a series of

hearings and interviews to attend after the events on both Epsilon and

Anaya Two, but would a message be too much trouble?

Apparently so.

What did she expect? Once her insubordination sentence was

over, Kel had returned to stern commander and even Jake had treated

her once again as if she was nothing but another female officer on the

ship. It was regulation that once she was on duty again they could

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only deal with each other on a professional basis—she understood

that—but it was still hard to handle. To make it all worse, almost

without exception every female officer on board the ship had asked

her either directly or indirectly about her “punishment.” It had been

infuriating to realize most of them would have gladly traded places

with her for the sojourn in the commanding officers’ quarters.

Even Tara had been curious, but luckily, too absorbed in Will

Janssen’s recovery to be too nosy.

Absorbed in her thoughts, Peyton didn’t even realize it at first

when they stopped. Not until the young driver opened the door and

stood there, respectfully impassive. “Here we are, Lieutenant.”

The tall sleek dark building was unfamiliar, but in one of the

city’s more upscale areas. Peyton shook her head. “This is the wrong

destination, Corporal.”

“I have my orders from Commander Gallico, ma’am. I’m to drop

you off here.”

Gallico
. Her heart started a slow steady pound. Peyton slid out of

the vehicle. “I see.”

“Just program in his name on the touchpad.” The young man

nodded and pressed a button to allow her access to the building’s

foyer. It was all glass and obsidian, the smooth polished surfaces

modern. She tapped in Kel’s name and was rewarded by a door to her

right opening. This took her up three stories and the first thing she

noticed as the transfer elevator came to a halt was the familiar scent of

light fruit overlaid with a tangy bite.

Kel’s favorite wine.

He lived here. She’d wondered more than once what someone like

him, so austere in many ways but with hidden facets such as a

weakness for ancient Earth literature, would choose as a place to

relax, but she hadn’t expected the shining rock on the floor of the

hallway, warm rich green on the walls, or the soft sound of music in

the background.

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107

“Hello,” she ventured, uncertain and off-balance. With each

passing day she’d felt more and more disheartened when not a

whisper of contact had been initiated. The flutter of her pulse now

should annoy her—and it did to a certain extent—but she had no

control over it.

When Kel strolled into sight, two wine glasses cradled in his long

fingers, it only got worse. He was barefoot and wore civilian

clothing—dark pants, a white loose shirt, and his dark hair waved

around his elegant fine-boned face. Those gray eyes, so infamous for

their arctic glare, were the color of molten silver. “How was the

interview with the Council?”

“How did you know?” She took the glass of wine he offered,

hoping he didn’t notice her fingers trembled.

“I was under orders to not contact you. They wanted an impartial

version of the story from both of us.” He sounded very matter of fact.

“Once you talked to them, the ban was lifted. Follow me.”

She did as he asked—no, ordered in his typical way—finding

herself in a room furnished in a minimal style, with streamlined chairs

and a huge glass wall overlooking the city view. In the twilight, the

buildings were iridescent and Minoa’s two moons hung low in the

skyline.

Jake Naiad, sprawled in one of the chairs, got lazily to his feet.

Like Kel, he wore casual clothing and looked different, more male

than ever, if that was even possible. He smiled and said, “Aren’t you

glad all that is over? Have a seat, Peyton.”

Odd, how on the ship, even when they had been large, imposing,

and had complete authority over her, she hadn’t ever felt quite

so…under their command.

On the ship, there had been rules. They were bound by a code of

honor to treat her a certain way, even when she was being punished

for an infraction. Now, with two large, intimidating males lounging in

the same room but under very different circumstances, she felt a

glimmer of trepidation. “Yes, I’m glad it’s over,” she agreed, trying to

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look cool and collected. “They agreed your punishment for the

insubordination charge was sufficient and that they would let it stand

you dropped the appropriation of military property.”

“And then they gave you a commendation, ostensibly only for the

rescue of the colonists on Anaya Two, but we all know it stems from

what you did when you went down to Epsilon against orders.” Kel

looked at her with that unfathomable expression he seemed to

summon at will. “Congratulations. I signed off on it a few days ago

after my initial report was given. This should help in your quest for

promotion.”

Was that still her quest? At the beginning of this past mission her

career had been everything. Now she wasn’t as sure. The problem

was, though Kel had wrested from her a confession of deeper feelings,

he hadn’t offered up any of his own. It shifted the balance of power

definitely to his side.

Damn him.

Peyton took a sip of the cool, clear wine and then inclined her

head. “Thank you.”

“That is what you want, isn’t it? What did you tell me…to make

major in the next five years, correct?” Seemingly relaxed and

nonchalant, he raised his glass to his lips with lazy male grace.

But there was nothing casual about the look in his eyes.

“Y..yes.” The one word answered wobbled as she gave it and

Peyton quickly cleared her throat.

“Maybe you can change her mind.” Jake turned to his friend and

grinned with that typical hint of audacity that was his alone. “I’ll be

happy to help you get her in an agreeable mood. In fact, I’ve been

looking forward to it ever since I mentioned to her once that we often

share females at the same time and I could tell the idea appealed to

the lieutenant’s adventurous spirit.”

Peyton blushed. She couldn’t help it, the wash of heat suffusing

not just her face, but her whole body. One at a time she knew them